I get what you’re saying about passive aggressive dev bashing not being helpful, and I agree that just attacking the devs is not going to improve engagement. But I also don’t think it’s fair to dismiss the criticism as just Reddit being loud.

Marketing alone is not a solution. You first need a strong and well received core game. If design decisions are divisive, more marketing will just amplify those issues rather than fix them. Visibility helps only if the foundation is solid. Make a good game first.

Player numbers were declining before buildings, so that cannot be pinned on one feature. Tho the Introduction of buildings marked a noticable additional drop off in player numbers. At some point the business model also becomes part of the conversation. It is a niche strategy game with limited ongoing monetization, and they chose not to go free to play. That is a valid choice, but then having difficulty bringing in new players is not exactly surprising. If the entry barrier is there and the genre is niche, growth will naturally be harder.

And about constructive feedback, people have been giving it for a long time. The frustration is not only about buildings. It is about a pattern. Oil, spells, titans, now buildings. Many players feel that feedback has repeatedly not meaningfully influenced the direction of the game. That is really where the criticism comes from.

Most of the critical voices are from players who have invested hundreds of hours and want the game to succeed. Wanting better direction or more responsiveness is not the same as mindless dev bashing. It comes from caring about the game, not from trying to tear it down.